Hotline Asia issued UA081024(7) in October 2008 to raise concern about threats to Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda and the Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM) for documenting humanitarian situation, as well as harassment against other human rights defenders and groups, urging the authorities to guarantee the security of these human rights defenders, and to stop the harassment.

A response from a diplomatic representative of Sri Lanka was received by a UA respondent, questioning the source of Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM)’s permission to document humanitarian problems.  Hotline Asia re-iterates that the main issue in the UA is the need to have humanitarian intervention, and that human rights defenders and everyone should be free from intimidation.

There is no restriction on the activities undertaken by the CSM under the Sri Lankan Constitution.  While it states that some rights can be restricted in emergency laws, there is no stipulation that permission is needed to do documentation.  Moreover, the leaflets have been distributed in the South and other regions, which are not areas at war and should not have been restricted.

As the deputy minister has not accepted CSM’s right to continue the documentation and distribution of materials, but neither has the government taken any action on it, the threat to the safety of Fr. Iddamalgoda and other members of CSM is still present.

According to AsiaNews, much of the country does not know the real conditions in which northerners live.  Since its inception, the CSM has organized various meetings and held prayer meetings across the country to raise awareness about the situation in the north of the country.  The CSM plans to continue its documentation work due to the continued humanitarian problems.

“The nation’s situation needs networking between various Christian groups from various Churches to raise a prophetic voice at a time when people are still dying because of the war and the failure of the peace talks,” said Fr. Iddamalgoda.


Sources:
Local source
AsiaNews